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ATHENS - “That’s why he’s the best coach in college football now. He basically is coach Saban in almost every area. They became the new Alabama”.
That’s what Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin had to say about Georgia Bulldog coach Kirby Smart this week as his Rebels prepare to take on the Dawgs in Athens.
If there’s anyone who knows how good Kirby Smart is, it’s Kiffin. The two worked on the same staff at Alabama under Nick Saban and are very familiar with each other’s coaching style.
Kiffin gave Smart constant praise on Monday and has a lot of respect for what Smart has done with the Georgia program since taking over in 2016.
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“I was at Alabama when he took the Georgia job”, Kiffin said. “They didn’t have the first year they wanted be he turned it around in year two and never looked back. They became the new Alabama and he built it the exact same way. Kirby basically is coach Saban in almost every area. How he is, how he coaches and how he models the team. And it worked. He repeated the program and the success.”
Kiffin went on to talk about how Smart’s teams always find a way to win different types of games due to their physicality and ability to push through adversity.
“He finds a way to win a lot of games in a lot of different styles”, Kiffin said. “His teams overcome a lot of adversity and he does a good job of keeping his team together. That’s why he’s the best coach in college football now.”
The Ohio State fans are going to be fully triggered over that one, but Kiffin has a point. This particular Georgia team doesn’t flinch. They can win a shootout in overtime in Neyland Stadium and win a come-from-behind defensive battle in Auburn.
“I think Kirby’s done a lot of that with his teams (second half surges),” Kiffin said. “If you watch him on the sideline you can’t tell what the score is because he’s always into it and his teams play that way. They pushed through adversity in one of the hardest places to play at Auburn last weekend. They do a really good job of not panicking.”
“When you play Georgia you’re going to have to really play well on the line of scrimmage,” Kiffin added. “They play so physical and they have great length. They get the best players in the country and Kirby, like coach Saban, recruits size and speed.”
Georgia is listed as a 6.5-point favorite to beat the Rebs in Athens. It is the second-largest line the Bulldogs have had in an SEC game this season.
The Bulldogs are coming off a road at Auburn. Ole Miss survived Washington State after being listed as an over 30-point favorite to win the game.
Sunday morning Disney announced that ESPN’s College Gameday will broadcast from Meyers Quad. Georgia is 21-18 when ESPN's College Gameday is on hand for a game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mWXj9Nez7o
